"Frienemies"

frienemies editing detail

"Frienemies" [mp3 removed - please listen to the 2018 remixed version]

This "verse" was working so I opted not to have a "chorus"; the "dropout" is the only concession to songcraft. I might chop it up eventually but right now it is a "steady state" minimal tune that is more about ringing (slight, semi-automatic) changes on one basic riff. The title is a bit dire for the material--it's kind of a happy piece. But I do think a lot about this word and how it arose to fill a need in our discourse. Everyone seems to recognize the type--what did we call them before? Are there more frienemies, or are we just better at spotting them?

(The image is a detail of the score.)

"I Wish I Didn't"

"I Wish I Didn't" [mp3 removed]

The violin solo at the end (with sequencer underneath) is a faint homage to Tuxedomoon, but the speech synthesis parts are decidedly unromantic.

"Dark Materials"

"Dark Materials" [mp3 removed]

More "grain cloud" percussion and electro blorts with a prog-influenced melody line.

Named in honor of the Philip Pullman movie that is tanking at the box office as we speak. All the sh*t news sources like the Comcast homepage refer to it as "Nicole Kidman's anti-Church movie." Pullman wrote the books for smart kids, though.

"Salsa Science"

"Salsa Science" [mp3 removed]

Slow latin-like tune for digital mallet instruments and "grain cloud" percussion.
Also, note orchestral triangle with LFO-controlled panning.